Homestays in Lo Lo Chai in northern Vietnam's Tuyen Quang Province are fully booked until the eighth day of the new year, leaving last-minute travelers to consider stay in tents or cheap places but at inflated prices.
The Lunar New Year begins on Feb. 17. Vietnam will take a nine-day break from Feb. 14 to 22.
Tuan Anh of Hanoi recently looked for accommodation for Feb. 19 to 21 and contacted more than 10 homestays but was told no rooms were available.
Some other facilities suggested he could stay in a tent 300 meters from the village entrance for VND500,000 (US$19.32) a night.
"Sleeping in a tent while traveling is too inconvenient, and so I’ll probably skip my plan to spend the night in Lo Lo village," he said.
Sinh Gi Gai, head of Lo Lo Chai village, said most rooms for the Tet holidays at the village's 63 homestay businesses had been sold out by Feb. 7.
Linh Son, owner of the Amazing Lo Lo Chai homestay, said he had kept room rates unchanged at VND600,000-800,000 and was fully booked one month in advance.
Son said tourists can only find a room in Lo Lo Chai "at least after the 10th day of the new year (Feb. 26)."
Most travelers reserved their rooms several months in advance.
Some travel agencies also booked rooms for package tour customers.
Lo Lo Chai, which was named the "Best Tourism Village in the World" in 2025 by the United Nations World Tourism Organization, is famed for its traditional earthen-walled houses.
Since winning international acclaim, it has become a major draw for both domestic and foreign tourists.
